


We Can Be Heroes...Just For One Day

by YourFriendlyAgenderLostOne



Category: Animorphs - Katherine A. Applegate
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - No Powers, Auximorphs - Freeform, Cassie dies, Gen, Grief, Jake Berenson Captain Of Earth, Jordan and Eva are Jakes second in command, MM4, Rachel dies, Tobias dies, War, marco dies
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-26
Updated: 2020-12-16
Packaged: 2021-03-09 23:20:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 8
Words: 3,037
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27724061
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/YourFriendlyAgenderLostOne/pseuds/YourFriendlyAgenderLostOne
Summary: Jake is tired. Tired of war. He gives up, to The Drode. You all know that. But Jake survives. As does Visser Three. As does Ax. As does the families. The others, however not so much.
Relationships: Collette/Marian, Collette/Original Female Characters, Elena/James (Animorphs), Elfangor-Sirinial-Shamtul/Loren (Animorphs), Implied Marco/Rachel, Implied Tom Berenson/Taylor, Jake Berenson & Aximili Esgarrouth Isthill, Jake Berenson & Rachel, Jake Berenson & Tom Berenson, Jake Berenson/Cassie (Animorphs)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 1





	1. The End

My name Is Jake. I can tell you my last name, and where I live. So. My name is Jake Berenson. I'm thirteen, and I'm fighting a war. My best friend, Marco Vasquez, has just died. So have many people. Due to the Yeerks. Mind enslaving grey slugs taking over California. And the world. Before this...I was average. Not bad at school, not good. Not bad at sports, not good. Not a bad kid, not good. Yeah. I was epic, wasn't I? Was. I'm not dead. Yet. 

Anyway. I had a brother, a dog, a nice house, cool parents, a best friend, and a sorta crush. Cassie McCain. I had four cousins, Rachel, Jordan, Sara, and...Saddler. I wasn't that tall, not that short. 

"JAKE! Are you helping or what?!" Rachel called.

Cassie glanced over, waiting.

"Huh? Yeah. Yeah, wait up!" I began to pace into a jog. "So. And-a-light, what's your name again?" Rachel asked. [Aristh Aximili-Esgarrouth Isthill of the Crashed Galaxy Tree.] 

"Arifth Aximilee Eshgarrouth-Istheel of the crashed Galaxy Tree?" I said, trying to pronounce it correctly whilst bleeding from my lip.

"Ax," Cassie said.

I nodded. Rachel grinned at Cassie, who looked over to Ax to see what he thought of the new name. [I quite like it.] "We have to move, otherwise we'll die," Rachel said. Yeah, yeah, who cares about that? Marco would have said. I grimaced, remembering him. [I believe so, yes.] _"C'mon! We have to keep moving!" Rachel yelled. Cassie took off running after her, Ax galloping behind. I spotted Hork-Bajir coming up on the left side. I pointed, and Ax's stalk eyes swiveled. [What are your names?] "Jake, Cassie, and Rachel" [Who is your leader?] "Jake is." [Prince Jake, what do we do?] "Hold up. Prince Jake?" Rachel asked. "Nevermind that! We have to run or fight them off," Cassie said. [What is the plan, Prince Jake?] "Yeah, what is it?" Cassie asked. "We fight them, sending Rachel and Ax first, then me and you." < Rachel nodded, a spark of excitement lighting up in her eyes. "Let's do this." A few minutes later, Rachel was firing Dracon Beams at them and Ax was slashing and stabbing. Cassie ran, whacking them with a mall rack. I fired wildly at them, wanting to end this war/fight here and now. Rachel lost her Dracon Beam, and resorted to stabbing them with mall racks. She managed to tear a head off from one and began stabbing other Hork-Bajir with that. Cassie was losing, and she spotted the kitchen tools and grabbed a cleaver, slamming it down on the Hork-Bajir. Ax was galloping, slashing them in the face and their legs. I fired again, tired. A small smile crept up my face. Others were joining us. We..we were winning!  
"Jake!" Rachel cried. My head whipped around. Rachel was bleeding from a wound, and a Hork-Bajir slashed. "NO!" Cassie screamed. Hot tears spilled down my face. Rachel's last breath escaped. "Goodbye.." I muttered._


	2. Well, Ax, guess we're the only ones now

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cassie  
> Rachel was dead. Rachel...strong..beautiful...powerful..Rachel. I-I couldn't think
> 
> "You said you and Visser Three were the only ones..."  
> [Well, well, well. An Andalite and two humans..]

Cassie  
"RACHEL!" I-I couldn't think. No...no! Beautiful..strong..warrior...caring...Rachel was gone. Rachel, my only friend. Rachel, a good person. Rachel, who was her own, unique self, no one was like her. No one would ever be. Rachel was dead.   
[Prince Jake, we have to move.]  
"Yeah. Yeah. Cassie, we have to leave."  
The thoughts barely registered in my head.  
"Rachel.."  
"THERE'S NO TIME, WE'RE GOING TO DIE IF WE DON'T-" Jake softened slightly.  
"Rachel wouldn't want us to die. We have to move, like she wanted," he said, more carefully.  
I nodded, tears streaming down my face. Ax nodded. He began to gallop away, as Jake and I ran along side him. I was in awe that there were aliens and I was fighting them, terrified because of that, grieving for Rachel and Marco, and I-I felt strong. Brave, even. But mostly terrified and sad, I'll admit. Suddenly, Ax stopped. Jake tumbled slightly, confused.  
[We have reached a flat surface at the top.]

"That's a roof," I told him.  
"Great," Jake hissed.  
[I hear hooves.]  
"Horse or Andalite?" I asked.

[What's a horse? And it is an Andalite.]  
_"You said that you and Visser Three were the only..."  
[Well, well, well. Look what we have here.]_

_[VISSER THREE!]  
Ax whipped his tail blade at the tall Andal-, Yeerk, I mean.  
Jake fired off a Dracon Beam at him, and I used a mall rack to knock out several of the human-controllers behind him.  
[Such pitiful efforts. I admit, brave yes, albeit it stupid.]  
Visser Three's tail-blade slashed, slamming almost in to Jake. I dove, taking the..I was hit. The last thing I heard was Jake, Jake, my Jake screaming, tears flowing down his face._


	3. War-Prince Jake Steven Berenson

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ax  
> The human was dead. Cassie, the one Prince Jake loved. A strange thought. A human...a prince? A War-Prince? And a child, at that. A strange, strange thought. It was confusing. I swiveled my stalk eyes at Prince Jake who had strange water droplets falling from his eyes. Tears, I believe. Humans had them when they were sad. Humans were peculiar, but good all the same.  
> [It seems like your comrade is dead,] the Abomination mocked.  
> Prince Jake turned, firing off the Dracon Beam.   
> _ZAP!_

Ax  
The human was dead. Cassie, the one Prince Jake loved. A strange thought. A human...a prince? A War-Prince? And a child, at that. A strange, strange thought. It was confusing. I swiveled my stalk eyes at Prince Jake who had strange water droplets falling from his eyes. Tears, I believe. Humans had them when they were sad. Humans were peculiar, but good all the same.  
[It seems like your comrade is dead,] the Abomination mocked.  
Prince Jake turned, firing off the Dracon Beam.   
ZAP!  
Visser Three dodged again. How? How did he always seem to dodge? HOW? Prince Jake jerked his shoulder at a tree. I'LL GO THERE, YOU RUN DOWN THAT RAMP, he mouthed, gesturing to the ramp. I nodded, confused how he mouthed his words, instead of...of course, he couldn't private thought speak.   
I turned and raced down the ramp, galloping as fast as I could. Prince Jake leapt, swinging to the tree, and swiftly climbed down. We rejoined at a strange collection of bars and flat surfaces. A picknick tablet? No, picnic table.   
[Prince Jake, where do we go?]  
"Uh...we get to Marco's house," he said, his voice trembling slightly.  
[Marco? Is he not deceased?]  
"He's dead, yeah...but his father is there.." Prince Jake was crying again.  
[Ah..I see now.]  
"Yeah.. C'mon!" Prince Jake looked at me again.  
"Wait, can't you morph into animals or humans?"  
[Yes..] I began morphing human, with the strange cloth that humans wear.  
"Cool, you see that metal vehicle over there? A car?"  
"I do."  
"You can fly a spaceship right?"  
"Yes. I can drive that, albeit not well."  
"Great. Because you have to now."  
We ran over there, tripping slightly with our preposterous human legs.   
"How do you run with only two legs?" I asked.  
"..You get used to it," Prince Jake said, sighing.   
Prince Jake opened the car, which was surprisingly, unlocked. He folded his legs in a black leather cushion. I did the same, and he placed a black buckle over himself. I copied the motion. Prince Jake pointed at a button, which I pressed, and the engine started up. I began steering the wheel whilst pushing a black pedal with a 'foot'.   
"Where is it?"  
"Turn left, then steer forwards, then head left again, ninth house on the right."  
"I understand, Prince Jake."  
"Don't call me Prince."  
"Yes, Prince Jake."  
I followed his instructions as I veered around the corner, arriving at a small, crumbling brown house.  
"Is this the destination?"  
"Yeah. Yeah, this is it."   
I unbuckled, and stepped out, watching as Prince Jake did the same. He walked up the steps, and there was grass, which I guessed was what they grew and ate. I guessed. Prince Jake knocked.   
"Hello? This is Jake."  
I heard footsteps and immediately jumped. A man with light brown hair and tannish skin, fairly skinny and I would guess aged 39-41. He didn't look angry, nor happy. More..sad, depressed.   
"Who....who's that and where's Marco?"  
"This is Ax. You know the person on TV a few hours ago?"   
The man's eyes widened. "An alien? Wait..with like superior technology, maybe even A.Is.. you didn't answer my other question though. Where's Marco?"  
Prince Jake's eyes looked watery. "Well...you know how they're trying to kill or enslave humanity? Marco...was one of the casualties."  
That was not a good way to break the news, as the man, a father, looked utterly beaten, sad, and hopeless. "No...no..MARCO!" his heartbroken, pained voice echoed throughout the house.   
"Mr. Vasquez...Peter. Shut up. The Yeerks might hear you. My own brother has a fucking Yeerk in his head. And Eva's fucking alive and a controller. The Yeerks are going to pay, but CALM DOWN, GODDAMMIT!" Prince Jake said wearily.  
The man..no Peter, seemed less hopeless, but in no way happy.  
"I believe you may want to collect all the families, not just Mr. Vasquez."  
"Yeah. Peter, come on. You're driving, as I'm not letting Ax operate a car anymore."  
"Why can't I? I quite enjoy it?"  
"No cars, Ax."  
"...I'm going to pretend I didn't hear any of that minus 'Peter, you're driving'," Peter said.  
"Enough standing around. We have a job to do."  
"Yes Prince Jake."  
"Prince...?" Peter muttered.


	4. Tom Vs. Temrash

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> [Get. Out.]  
> [Shut up,human.]  
> [No. Never. GetoutgetoutgetoutgetoutgetoutgetOUT!,] I cried hopelessly.   
> The Yeerk, Temrash One-one-Fourteen, laughed bitterly. [You have no idea what it's like to not feel your world, not talk, not smell, not hear, not see.]  
> [I FUCKING KNOW WHAT IT'S FUCKING LIKE, GODDAMMIT BECAUSE YOU HAVE PUT ME THROUGH IT!]  
> "Tom, honey, are you all right?" Mom asked.   
> NO. NO I'M NOT!  
> "Yeah..Mom, just..worried about Jake," my mouth, no, Temrash said.

[Get. Out.]

[Shut up,human.]

[No. Never. GetoutgetoutgetoutgetoutgetoutgetOUT!,] I cried hopelessly. 

The Yeerk, Temrash One-one-Fourteen, laughed bitterly. [You have no idea what it's like to not feel your world, not talk, not smell, not hear, not see.] To my surprise, Temrash was...upset. His voice cracked slightly..maybe Yeerks had emotions and care- No, no. Anger rushed through me as I realized that's what he was doing to ME.

[I FUCKING KNOW WHAT IT'S FUCKING LIKE, GODDAMMIT BECAUSE YOU HAVE PUT ME THROUGH IT!]

"Tom, honey, are you all right?" Mom asked. 

NO. NO I'M NOT!

"Yeah..Mom, just..worried about Jake," my mouth, no, Temrash said.

"Do you know where he is?" Dad asked urgently. 

"No..The Yeerks kidnapped him and his friends, I tried to fight them off," The Yeerk lied.

No... Someone, Jake, Cassie, Rachel, Marco, Andalite, whoever's here, help, please. Please. PLEASE! I couldn't last another day in this torture. In the Yeerk's mind. Trapped. I was a prisoner, a slave...Fuck. Who was I, really? I-I barely had a personality. FUCK. FUCK FUCK FUCK. I was a dead boy, alive. 

[Having fun?] Temrash asked mockingly. 

[Yeah, I mean this is sooooo great. Like, I looove it soooo much, totally.]

[You are not very skilled with sarcasm.]

[Shut up.]

"Tom? Tom? Answer us," Mom said, sighing.

"Huh? What did you say again?" 

"Someone's at the door!" Dad gasped suddenly, racing to it. 

Temrash raced faster, opening it. Jake, Marco's dad, and...the alien from TV. Aristh Aximili-Esgarrouth-Isthill. War-Prince Elfangor Sirinial Shamtul's brother. Hope and dread sparked in me. Dread because Jake might die. Excitement because I might be free! Dead or alive, I might be free...

"Jake?"

[Greetings, Jake's family. I believe Tom is a Controller.]


	5. The Safest Family Reunion In History

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tom's Yeerk frowned.   
> "What do you mean?" Steve asked, breaking the icy cold silence. "Tom...he can't be, can he?"
> 
> "He can, by the looks of it," Jean hissed, staring at Tom, dangerously. "I don't want this to be real...but that's the alien that TOLD us about this mess. Jake, what do you think?"
> 
> "I think that almost KILLING Marco and Rachel, who are dead now, along with Cassie, could qualify as a 'yes' from him," I snapped back.
> 
> Tom's Yeerk struggled to keep his emotions under control, failing. He pulled a Dracon Beam...

Tom's Yeerk frowned.   
"What do you mean?" Steve asked, breaking the icy cold silence. "Tom...he can't be, can he?"

"He can, by the looks of it," Mom hissed, staring at Tom, dangerously. "I don't want this to be real...but that's the alien that TOLD us about this mess. Jake, what do you think?"

"I think that almost KILLING Marco and Rachel, who are dead now, along with Cassie, could qualify as a 'yes' from him," I snapped back.

Tom's Yeerk struggled to keep his emotions under control, failing. He pulled a Dracon Beam from his pocket and fired at Ax and I. Happy, fifth grade teacher? I used proper grammar. Ax shoved me out of the way, as he dodged. I noticed Dad and Mom's faces, which were shocked, and they were shaking wildly. 

[It would be wise to leave Thomas Berenson's head. A slow-]

"-Death or Kandrona Starvation," I finished.

Tom's Yeerk glared hopelessly. "I will never give in."

"Good motto, afraid you'll die either way," Peter said. 

I glanced back, having of forgotten he was there. Mom nodded, and suddenly snatched the Dracon Beam from Tom. Tom's Yeerk tried pulling it back, but Mom kept a fair grip on it. It was...like Tom was trying to get his phone or an ice cream, but Mom was saying no. A sudden laugh escaped from me, the others turning to face me in confusion. I shook my head, then reminded Tom of the deal. 

"Never."

"We'll wait, then. Three days. They'll hold you."


	6. Not A Picnic For Me Either

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A day had passed. Two more. Two more days of imprisonment. Two more days til freedom. I sighed, feeling an itch coming on my nose, and the Yeerk refusing to scratch it. You wouldn't think think that something, something as childish as that, would annoy me. Hurt me. Just the act of not being able to do a regular, human behavior...was painful. I was used to it...but it was still...bad. Wow. REAL clever Tom, great job describing-  
> [SHUT UP, HUMAN!]
> 
> [Excuse me? I'm thinking.]
> 
> [Horribly, if I'm honest.]
> 
> [Yours is worse.]
> 
> [Is not.]
> 
> "He's fighting. Tom's fighting."
> 
> More having a sarcastic rant and then...like arguing, but hey, not too bad.

A day had passed. Two more. Two more days of imprisonment. Two more days til freedom. I sighed, feeling an itch coming on my nose, and the Yeerk refusing to scratch it. You wouldn't think think that something, something as childish as that, would annoy me. Hurt me. Just the act of not being able to do a regular, human behavior...was painful. I was used to it...but it was still...bad. Wow. REAL clever Tom, great job describing-  
[SHUT UP, HUMAN!]

[Excuse me? I'm thinking.]

[Horribly, if I'm honest.]

[Yours is worse.]

[Is not.]

"He's fighting. Tom's fighting."

More having a sarcastic rant and then...like arguing, but hey, not too bad.

[WILL YOU BE QUIET?]

[Never.]

[I'll make you.]

[Try to, Yeerk. Go on, try and fail.]

[I won't fail,] he hissed. Memories, happy ones flashed through my head. I imagined smiling slightly, remembering those times. And then...painful ones, whipping through my head. 

[..N-n-n-o-o.]

[Feeling more hopeless, human?]

[...]

[Human?]

[Fuck. Off, Temrash.]

[WHY. WHY. WHY ARE YOU SO ANNOYING?]

[My specialty.] I thought about summoning the image of me grinning cockily, but I...was more beaten, trying to put on a happier persona.

[You are devastated.]

[Me? Me, devastated? You obviously aren't from THIS universe.]

[I'm done.] 

I was exhausted, and I began to doze off...waiting for freedom. Waiting. Waiting. Always.


	7. Several  Days Of Pain

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jake sighed. "How much longer? We don't have much time, as the Yeerks are advancing out of town now."  
> [Five hours, thirty-two minutes, Prince Jake,] Ax answered.

Jake sighed. "How much longer? We don't have much time, as the Yeerks are advancing out of town now."

[Five hours, thirty-two minutes, Prince Jake,] Ax answered.

"I am in the room currently, in existence, Andalite and humans," the Yeerk hissed, gritting his teeth in pain.

[That is good for you. Soon that will change.]

Jake nodded, keeping the Dracon Beam on the Yeerk, Ax angling is tail blade in the same direction, in order to make sure the Yeerk was not going to try and run away. Jean and Steve looked worried, watching their sons in surprise, one...a prisoner...the other....a soldier. Peter had his head in his hands, devastated at the loss of Marco, shocked to know _Eva was alive._

"Here," Jake said, passing a Dracon Beam to Peter. "Ax and I are going to see if we can rescue more people, you three stay here and keep watch."  
  
Peter nodded. "Alright."  
  
Steve watched him leave with Ax. 

"I'm coming with you," Jordan announced when they reached the other room. They had rescued a blind woman named Loren who looked like Tobias, Rachel's family, Cassie's family, Saddler's family (despite their complaints), some blonde kid named David and his family, some kids from a hospital and a girl named Elena from a school for the blind.

"You are not going anywhere," Naomi replied.

  
"Rachel died fighting, and I'm going to stop the Yeerks like her," Jordan said.

  
"I will too," Sara said.

"Okay, no. Jordan, you aren't too young, but please, stay back for now. Sara, nope, you're eight. And Saddler, while you're a bit annoying, you're strongest, so you're coming."  
  
Saddler looked offended at the 'annoying' comment. "I am not. You're the annoying one, Jake, you're a bossy kid."  
  
"Look, now isn't the time for playground fights. We're fighting a _war_ here. A _war._ It's not some little video game, it's a goddamn war!" 

[Prince Jake, I believe it would be wiser to take Timmy, as he is currently available and is fairly...less bossy and childish as Saddler.]

"Alright then. Timmy, c'mon."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For reference, Timmy is the Auximorph with a speech impediment .


	8. On The Third Day Of Waiting..they gave to Tom...Freedom

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> [Time's up. It's been three days,] I told Temrash.
> 
> For the first time in days, the Yeerk didn't reply...perhaps too weak, or too proud to admit his failure. Agony suddenly shot through my brain...my mind...his mind....MY MIND. He screamed, dying. A few more minutes....just a few more... and the Yeerk's thoughts, memories...flooded his brain. It overwhelmed me...the pain...all of it. And yet...he was dead. Dead. I WAS FREE. I opened and closed my fists, because I could. I thought of anything that came into my head...because I COULD! I COULD THINK WITHOUT SOMEONE HEARING IT. I could move alone. I was free. Free of the Yeerk. In control. Of myself. I laughed with pure joy.

[Time's up. It's been three days,] I told Temrash.

For the first time in days, the Yeerk didn't reply...perhaps too weak, or too proud to admit his failure. Agony suddenly shot through my brain...my mind...his mind....MY MIND. He screamed, dying. A few more minutes....just a few more... and the Yeerk's thoughts, memories...flooded his brain. It overwhelmed me...the pain...all of it. And yet...he was dead. Dead. I WAS FREE. I opened and closed my fists, because I could. I thought of anything that came into my head...because I COULD! I COULD THINK WITHOUT SOMEONE HEARING IT. I could move alone. I was free. Free of the Yeerk. In control. Of myself. I laughed with pure joy.

"Tom? Temrash? Uh...that's a bit creepy," Jake said, sounding normal. Like a kid. 

"It's me. Thomas Steven Berenson, Tom."  
  
"How can we be sure?" Jake asked.

[I believe he is telling the truth,] Aximili said.

Jake studied me carefully. "I guess. We'll still keep an eye on him, though."

I nodded, then gestured to the rope. Jake sighed, and untied me. I stood up, stretching, and ran a hand through my hair...all my senses renewed, everything wonderful. Everything...almost.

"So. Who did you manage to rescue?" Peter, Marco's father, asked.

"A family of six, two homeless kids, and three cats. Oh, and a young couple from an apartment."  
  
"Jake. The house is filling up. We don't have enough space. Cas- Michelle and Walter's has more than enough space, or we could always move in to the mall, or something. There's supplies there, and it's huge," Mom interrupted.

"Good point. We'll use the mall as one place, backup as Michelle and Walter's," Jake said, taking charge.

"Who died and made midget boss?"  
  
  
"First off, I take offence to that. Two, if we're going, let's go now, instead of three hours."  
  


[I will gather the groups, and help pack, Prince Jake.]

"Don't call me prince."  
  
[Very well, the Jake formerly known as Prince.]

"Stick to Prince, in that case."  
  
[Yes, Prince Jake.]

Jake nodded. He wasn't the same. I missed Jake. Jake, my little brother with messy hair and sparkling eyes. Jake, the goofy kid. Jake, a nerd. In his place was some dark, dark, soldier. But that was Jake. Jake, a nerd, Jake, a soldier. Jake, who was...Jake. I laughed slightly at their conversation, knowing that for now...we weren't that bad. Knowing that..we weren't getting a happy ending.


End file.
